Petals!

With a surge in cases due to the coronavirus second wave, the world seems to be on the verge of another nightmarish crisis again. It began in a trickle and then it became a flood we hadn't prepared to tackle. The p leas for hospital beds, oxygen, medicines and vaccination for all age groups flooded social media timelines. In the midst of such tragic circumstances, one has no other option but to stay indoors, avoid crowds and be highly alert about maintaining social distancing and not going out unless it is absolutely essential. We live in dangerous times. In this instance, we are our own enemies when we lower our guard against the coronavirus.                                              [Image: Pixabay] What is most tragic is that we were so ill-prepared for this second wave.  When you let down your guard, that is when the enemy strikes. With disturbing and negative n...

The Patiala Quartet by Neel Kamal Puri is a book I bought recently. With an eminent writer like Khushwant Singh recommending the book as a 'debut novel that will rank among the best works of English language fiction from Punjab', I didn't have to think twice before I opted to order it on Amazon. However, being extremely choosy about the books that I read, I still checked out various book bloggers to read their reviews on the debut novel. [Best Books I read in 2020]                                                       All book reviews of The Patiala Quartet praised the debut novel as a sensitive chronicle of life during Punjab's turbulent political upheavals that also wtinessed the beginning of the Khalistani movement. So, I was like, how did I miss this book in the first place? I must read it! With keen interest, I bought the book. The first few chapter...

What happens when a newly wed couple's life is thrown out of gear after a spouse dies within five months of marriage? You would expect a tearjerker tragedy, right? But this film switches to another track - a realistic, slightly humourous one. Sanya Malhotra, starring in Pagglait, breaks the 'widow' stereotype in Indian cinema.                                                  [Sanya Malhotra on Twitter] Before I dive into why Pagglait made so much sense to me, let me share with you a few things about the big 'W' - yes, the word 'widowhood' which makes it seem as though a woman has stopped being who she is and has been turned into 'She-who-must-not-be-named' - a pathetic and grim reality of how Indians from all communities and religions tend to treat widows. Widowers - ah- that's a different story. They can date freely and go on courtships and no one is going to ba...